MANILA -  The Department of Tourism hopes to welcome about a million health and wellness tourists in the coming years as the country aims to become a hub for medical tourism in the region.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco together with First Lady Liza Marcos opened the two-day International Health and Wellness Tourism Congress in Taguig, which was attended by dozens of tourism buyers from across the world. Frasco said the event will showcase the Filipino brand of wellness, as well as the quality of private medical facilities in the country.

“We have this Filipino ancient healing technique called ‘hilot’ which is one of the highlights of this congress perfectly paired with our world-class healthcare facilities and healthcare personnel,” Frasco said.

The Tourism chief said the Philippines receives about 250,000 health and wellness tourists annually. These are foreign travelers who visit the Philippines for medical treatment, dental care, or go on a retreat in a spa. Tourism Director Paulo Tugbang said they aim to reach the figure of half a million or even a million in a few years’ time.

Event organizer and global market research firm Agora also believes the Philippines could be one of the major players in the health and wellness space because of its competitive pricing, quality healthcare facilities, highly skilled and English-speaking workers, and overall great tourism destination.

“Focuses on the wellbeing and on the health of the individual. This goes for spa treatment, for prevention of disease, and for the treatment of disease. And I strongly believe that the Philippines has immense potential in developing this segment and in becoming one of the world leaders in it,” said Agora CEO Hadi Malaeb.

Malaeb said the Philippines just needs to continue improving its healthcare infrastructure, and talent development, follow global accreditation and standards practices, and push for more public-private partnerships.

“Within the next 5 or 10 years, this number can jump to around half a million which is a very substantial increase if the offering is marketed correctly to the right audience,” he said.

Frasco said they continue to build partnerships with various agencies especially the Department of Health and private medical facilities to further improve the health tourism industry. She also highlighted that the biggest assets are the Filipinos themselves who fit well in the healthcare industry and tourism industry.

“Napakacompetitive ng pricing ng Pilipinas in terms of its ability to offer health and wellness tourism packages. And most importantly yung aruga ng Pilipino is really second to none. The ability to exercise genuine passion, care, and compassion para sa ating mga pasyente ay isa sa ating napakagandang assets ng health and wellness tourism,” Frasco said.

Agora said the global health and wellness tourism market was valued at about $800 billion globally in 2023. The company said the Philippines has all the right tools to be a big player in the health and wellness sector.